


Prognosis

by DeviSan



Category: One Piece
Genre: M/M, Mentioned Donquixote Doflamingo, References to Depression, mentioned Donquixote Rocinante
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2019-10-31 13:01:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17849936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeviSan/pseuds/DeviSan
Summary: Maybe there were more sick people, than Law was anticipating now. It would be a positive surprise. Gastroenteritis, influenza. Yes. Masses of sick people, which he could take care of, while working extra hours. Maybe this vacation would be the best he ever had.___My part for the LawLu Big Bang!





	1. Compensatory time-off

**Author's Note:**

> The wonderful artist novicecomics illustrated this fanfic. Go check their amazing art-account! Accounts linked under the title <3

Chapter 1: Compensatory time-off

\- written by Devi-San, [illustrated by novicecomics](https://official-novicecomics.tumblr.com/post/182918916906/created-this-as-a-companion-piece-to-devisans) \- for the [LawLu BigBang 2018/19](https://lawlu-events.tumblr.com)

 

 

 

Most people were looking forward to their summer vacation. Having no duties, no work, no school meant relaxation and time spent with beloved people. ~~If you had any left.~~

For Trafalgar D. Water Law this was not the case. He disliked his mandatory days off-work. He could deal with one free day every two weeks, but summer meant four weeks of forced vacation. More than four days free meant he had to visit the family. The head of the family was very strict about this. He preferred his people around him, nearby. Close enough to monitor and manipulate. It made Law feel sick to his stomach. Doflamingo looked too similiar to his brother. A terrifying caricature of his beloved Cora-san. No warmth in his smile. Just teeth and danger. No love in his always hidden eyes. Tall and towering. Furtive. Danger.

How he hated that time of the year. And every year it was the same. People wished him happy holidays, people were surprised to hear how long he had worked through without a proper time off. Some people admired him for his strict working routine, other people envied him, and some people pitied him. They probably thought he would not hear their whispered, how they were saying things like:

„Does he not have any family? “ - He really did not want to spend time with them.  
„Why does he not want to spend time with his friends? “ - It was not his fault, they were busy.  
„Does he even have friends? “ - Yes...?

Not that people talking bothered him at all. He found it quite amusing how people misjudged him. Yes, he worked much. Probably more than any other person at the hospital. He always had to give his best. Everything below his best was worthless, useless. Sometimes his best was not even good enough. Either do it right, or not at all. He did not work so much or so hard, because he had nothing else to do. ~~At least it had not been like this in the beginning...~~

He did have a family. One he did not have much to do with anymore, not since his beloved Cora-san died. He did the mandatory summer visit, ~~had to~~. Otherwise, he did not feel like interacting much anymore. ~~Stay away from the toxic, from the danger.~~ Still, they were his family. They adopted him when he was still a small child. He should feel grateful. Right?  
Law barely had any memories left of his blood-related family. Every time he tried to think back and tried to remember them he just heard the screams again, felt the incredible heat of the burning building. It left him panicking and anxious; therefore, he tried to not think back. ~~Push away what makes you think, sick.~~

Happy fragments of memory, Lami playing in the garden, mothers homemade biscuits and fathers teachings about basic medicine. Law knew these moments existed. However, the other fragments of memories were much more present. Fire. Pain. Screams. Horror.

His other family though had helped him to grow into a presentable human being. He was nice looking, well dressed, intelligent, well-articulated. To be fair, nothing less had been expected from him. Anything worse than best-grades possible had earned him the disapproval of the head of the family. Something about not developing his full potential.

Corazon, the brother of the family leader had been more forgiving. He had been the one pampering Law and trying to make him feel better, whenever he only reached 95 % or less in an exam.

_“He is just a kid. Doffy, let him play with other kids…”_

_“I am sorry Law. I am sure Doffy has good intentions. He knows the dark world outside, you know.”_

Law had tried to believe Corazon. He had been there whenever he needed him. Thinking about Cora-san made Law smile ~~and sad. Grief. Loneliness.~~  
The family might have made him successful and well educated but Cora-san had taught him how to love, how to smile and how to feel joy in life. He missed him. Cora-san had been the light of his life. Guarding him through the darkness he had felt as child and teenager. ~~What about now?~~

Since that light was gone Law … struggled. Darkness was swallowing him up again. There was no guiding light anymore. ~~No one~~.  He had friends. Yes. Quite contrary to what most people thought.

There were Penguin and Shachi. Two guys he had gotten to know while studying. He had some Biology lectures together with Penguin. Shachi had been the best friend of Penguin.  
He had helped both of them with their exams and in return they had invited him to student parties and made sure that he got some university experience apart from studying, learning and disappointing Doflamingo because he could barely be good enough. Both were in a relationship by now. Busy with family planning, buying their own houses. They barely asked Law anymore. Not as much as they used to.

Another friend of his was Eustass. Okay. Maybe they did not have a typical friendship. Most people seeing the two of them together for the first time often had the impression that they hated each other’s guts.  
They were arguing and fighting. Literally fighting. Eustass had tackled Law more than once to the ground, leaving bruises and marks on his bodies. Law on the other hand had broken Eustass’ nose once and twisted his hand at least twice. And still they met each other. Their relationship had been more of a on and off kind of thing. But still they appreciated each other.

It had changed over the years though. The amount of times they decreased. Living more than an hour apart and both being busy with work made it difficult to meet. Law being finished with studying, having his medical license, working full time and Kid owning his own mechanical place. Work was time consuming for both of them. That and not putting enough effort in keeping the contact up from Laws side… had made the friendship slowly but steady running out. Quite a few times Kid had tried to contact him, to make him lose his temper again, but somehow Law… had not felt like it. As much as he disliked knowing why he thought like this. But ever since catching Kid mid-act with another dude he felt … like the other one did not deserve him.

Apparently, Doflamingo’s ~~parenting~~ had left some traces on him. Feeling like being worth more than others. Knowing one should be special. ~~Bind people you want, close enough so they can never leave. Get rid of the people not deserving you.~~

It was hard to get rid of these thoughts, especially since Cora-san was gone. He had always managed to remind him of his normal human side, reminding him that emotions were normal and that other people had feelings too. However, there was no use in dwelling about these things. ~~Push away the thoughts.~~

 

* * *

 

 

One week later Law felt, like the heaven’s had heard his thoughts. No vacation! At least no classical vacation! He had an excuse for declining the family visit! For once Law felt blessed because of a vacation. A cruise-trip.

He was going to be part of the medical team supporting the trip. For around six weeks, he was going to stay on the ship, working in shifts with other doctors and nurses. It was longer than his normal four weeks of forced-vacation. They were going to visit several islands. The boat would stop at the islands for one, two or three nights and then they would travel to the next one.  
During the time at the islands, there would be several guiding tours, showing the sights of the islands, eating the traditional foods of the islands and at night, the guests could either stay on the island and celebrate or enjoy a hopefully calm night at the ship. Since they would work in shifts, Law was able to visit some of the islands by himself. ~~Distraction~~.

Law was expecting the trip to be relatively calm. People being travel-sick, sunburns and headaches from staying too long in the hot summer-sun and overdooing alcohol. Some blisters maybe, people not being used to walk great distances in new-bought shoes. In Addition, some people, elder ones probably, with stomach issues. Foreign food and eating too excessively for their already slowed down metabolism. Not that they were going to listen to Law, when he mentioned that. But well…

Maybe there were more sick people, than Law was anticipating now. It would be a positive surprise. Gastroenteritis, influenza. Yes. Masses of sick people, which he could take care of, while working extra hours. Maybe this vacation would be the best he ever had.

It felt weird, but Law was actually looking forward to the trip. A change of setting, maybe a change in his life? ~~One he needed, if he wanted to survive.~~


	2. Vacation Goal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the nice words on the first chapter >_<  
> I was really worried with this and it helped me feel more comfortable about my writing!   
> Thank you!

Chapter 2: Vacation Goal

\- written by Devi-San, [illustrated by novicecomics](https://official-novicecomics.tumblr.com/post/182926660586/his-smile-was-like-corazons-warm-and-inviting) \- for the [LawLu BigBang 2018/19](https://lawlu-events.tumblr.com)

 

 

“Woaaaah!” Usopp and Luffy shouted in unison. They finally arrived at the harbor, where the cruise-ship was located. Both of them had been eager to finally see the ship in person. Counting from the day the tickets were booked, Luffy and Usopp had searched for boats and ships online, compared multiple steamers and cruisers, getting more and more excited.

“That looks so cool!” Luffy exclaimed loudly. He had been energetic and excited the entire train-ride towards the harbor. Usopp and Luffy had chatted non-stop about the soon-to-be-starting trip, waking up Zorro multiple times and annoying the hell out of Nami, while doing so.

“And so big! I did not expect the ship to be soo big!”

  
The pictures they had looked at online had shown a big cruiser, but it was different in person. The size was somehow intimidating and at the same time, it felt majestic. Luffy felt joy. This was going to be an awesome adventure. He had dreamt about voyaging since he could remember. As little child he had talked with his friend Shanks about traveling. It was one of his very first memories. Just him and his friends. No school, no duties, freedom and adventure! Meeting all kinds of people, making new friends. ~~Changing fates.~~

“Oi Nami! Did you know that boats could be so big?”  
Luffy had only known and seen the little ships using the rivers. Even at the harbor close to the city he had never seen a ship of that size. Bigger boats yes, container ships even. The cruiser in front of them played in a different league considering size though.

“Of course, it is big, or do you think, I want to spend two weeks in a little nut-shell of a boat?” She sighed heavily with a hint of amusement on her face. She had overcome her earlier irritation. Luffy being energetic was exhilarating to watch. Somehow, he always managed to put his good mood on others. Nami was not sure how he did it, in the end it did not even matter. Luffy was just Luffy…

“Hey, as if you could be annoyed by us!” Usopp grinned. He had finally stopped gawking at their home for the next weeks. “I cannot wait to see the deck! Online was written, that they have many pools and slides. They have gambling rooms and several bars!” He wanted to explore it all!

“Hach, the gambling rooms.” Nami smiled. Maybe she had more money after the trip, then before. Well, having less than nothing was hard to achieve. She could have never afforded the tickets on her own. Paying Luffy’s and her train tickets was already blowing her budget by far. If she wanted to bring home some souvenirs, she either had to earn some money by gambling and playing against other people or she had to steal something, again. Nami knew, that Bellemere, her ~~adoptive~~ mother, was against stealing or illegal activities in general, but sometimes Nami felt, like it was only fair.

Her mother was a hard-working woman. She had managed to raise two children (and Nami knew, that neither she, nor her sister Nojiko had been easy), while working fulltime. It had been stressful. Nami never had been able to get new things or go shopping for cool clothes like other girls her age. They never had spent a holiday in another country. Too expensive. It was the main reason, she felt honored and blessed being able to take this trip with her friends now. If her mother could not visit a different country, Nami at least wanted to bring her some nice gifts and Souvenirs! Maybe one day, she earned enough money to pay for a trip for her mother. It was something Nami was going to work hard for.

“I cannot wait to check out their bars. There are multiple on every deck!” Zorro’s voice was rough from sleepiness. He had just woken up a few minutes ago. Sleeping on the train had been difficult with Usopp’s and Luffy’s eager chatting and Nami scolding them. He had managed to get his nap though.  
“So even if you get lost, you will still find something to drink!” A big grin was showing on Luffy’s face, as he looked at Zorro. His friends’ sense of direction was not the best. Not by far. Zorro did not even try to argue. Pointless.

“Let us go! It will take some time to check in!” Nami held their tickets. She was, next to Usopp, probably the most responsible. It felt unreal to finally see the ship, be on the ship. They all had been eager for the trip, since they got the tickets. It had not been easy time to decide on a goal for their vacation…

 

* * *

 

  
Zorro had been fine with everything as long as it contained enough napping time, as well as enough booze. He was neither a picky eater, nor was he really interested in deciding about where to go or what to see. Spending time with his friends and enjoying his free time, before he had to go to work again, was all that mattered to him.

Nami on the other hand wanted to travel further away. Exploring the world, different cities and countries. Enjoying foreign cultures.

After the holiday she was going to start to study at the local university. Even though she could stay at home with her sister and her mother, saving on rent and money for food, she knew the times would be rough considering money. They did not have a lot of free money to spend. Especially with Nami not being able to work full-time anymore due to the university courses. She felt rather happy and blessed, that her mother Bellemere had saved up some money for her to go studying. Traveling had always been a dream of the redhead. Knowing very well, that this would be the only vacation she could afford in the next years, she had tried to stand her ground.

  
The person she had argued with most was Usopp. He had wanted to visit a tropical island at first, only to retract as soon as he heard about all the different kind of vaccinations he needed to go there. Weird diseases, possible parasite infections. Nope.

Next destination he had in his mind was one of the shooting places of a movie Luffy and he were fans from. Something with robots and ninjas and pirates. Nami had argued heavily against it. She did not want to visit an isolated island filled with only snow, ice and moose! Never! She would probably fall sick there. 

Another possibility was the desert. Nami had always been fond of warm and sunny places. Visiting one of the famous desert cities of Alabasta, maybe they could have even meet Vivi again. A former exchange student in their school times. Seeing her again would be really nice. The tickets were too expensive though. 

Luffy had been rather easy. As long as it was a fun place and his friends were there, he would have agreed on anything. Of course, he had his preferences. He would have liked the tropical island and jungle. The thoughts of cool bugs, insects in general, as well as cool predators excited him. A desert island would have been fun too in his opinion. He had talked about sand-surfing and trying out the exotic foods… 

Their bickering went forth and back and at some point Nami was sure, that they would spend their entire free time arguing without actually going anywhere. The discussions about their vacation goal came to an abrupt end, when Luffy one day arrived with two tickets for a cruise trip.

“Grampa got these from some of the people he trained. They said, that some vacation was good for him, something about finally retiring. Gramps beat them up and gave the tickets to me” Luffy shrugged and looked at his friends. “Let us take the trip! There will be different islands!”  
Nami slowly raised one eyebrow, before taking a closer look at the tickets. Multiple islands? That sounded fancy. She did not question Garp beating up his poor Marine trainees.

As weird as Luffy was from time to time, it seemed to run in the family. Nami had only seen his grampa a few times. She could not exactly say, that these were pleasant memories. Garp was loud, brutal and loving at the same time. He ate as much as Luffy, had a tendency to fall asleep and Nami had never seen someone making Luffy run away. Usually the Strawhat fought everything and everyone, apparently Garp was on a different level. Nami was not sure if she should admire Garp for that or be scared of him.

“These are only two tickets though, we need four, don’t we?” Zorro asked, while Usopp was checking online if they could buy more tickets.  
“We just buy two more!” Luffy leaned over the shoulder of Usopp, looking at the Webpage.  
“Woah! This ship looks amazing! There are slides and loops! Swimming pools! All you can eat!!” From second to second he got more jittery and excited. He could not wait to be on the ship! There were so many things to explore and to do! He could do them with his friends. That was going to be awesome! Absolutely Amazing!

“That is.. expensive. How were those trainees able to pay for the two tickets?” Nami frowned. Even if they divided the price of the remaining two tickets, it was still more than she could afford. She bit her lip. Maybe the others should go without her?

“Don’t know. I think some other Marines helped with paying. They probably wanted to get rid of gramps too.”  
Luffy noticed Namis look. He hummed.  
“Oi, Usopp. Buy the two tickets! You can write in Grampas name! He is gonna pay for us! I will get his money card”

Nami frowned. His credit card? Was that even legal? She should not question Luffy. He was going to do, what he wanted anyway.

* * *

 

Their check-in did thankfully not take long. It was difficult for Luffy to remain still for a longer period of time. Waiting in a line, adventures and fun ahead. Nami was not sure, if Luffy had managed to stay in line for ten more minutes.

“Uff. Okay, should we check out our rooms?” The redhead sighed before walking towards one of the maps of the cruiser. It did not take long for her to memorize everything.

“Okay, here we are!” Nami smiled before giving each of them their key card to unlock the room. “Do.not.lose.it! Actually- I keep my card and Zorros. Usopp you take yours and Luffy's.” That way the cards would not get lost. Hopefully.

After exploring their rooms, they all went to the deck together. Soon the ship was going to hoist anchor. Usopp rested against the railing, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the soft breeze of wind on his skin. It felt wonderful. Zorro stood next to him, eyeing the sea. It was a relaxed atmosphere. Somewhat calm, even though there were a lot of people standing on the deck, wanting to see the start of their travel.

“Oi, Usopp!” Luffy looked around, observing the many people. “Don’t you think it is cool, that we are finally on our adventure!” He was curious about all the things they were going to do, the places they were going to explore and the new friends, they were going to make!  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stealing is not okay. Nami's opinion does not reflect my own opinion!
> 
> __   
> Kudos and comments appreciated!  
> You can leave me a message at twitter (@BadassDevi) or tumblr (generaldevi)!


	3. Travelsick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way Law thinks about alcohol + work or alcoholism in general does not reflect my opinion. Do not drink and drive/work. Do nothing, that could endanger you or others. Be responsible with any kind of legal drug that you consume!

Chapter 3: Travelsick 

 

written by Devi-San, [illustrated by novicecomics](https://official-novicecomics.tumblr.com/post/182918916906/created-this-as-a-companion-piece-to-devisans) - for the [LawLu BigBang 2018/19](https://lawlu-events.tumblr.com/)

* * *

_“Oi, Usopp!” Luffy looked around, observing the many people. “Don’t you think it is cool, that we are finally on our adventure!” He was curious about all the things they were going to do, the places they were going to explore and the new friends, they were going to make!_

* * *

 

 

“W-what was that noise?” Usopp frowned, looking around while turning paler and paler the more minutes passed.

“What noise do you mean? There are many noises!” Luffy looked at his friend, a big and cheerful grin showing on his face.

Over them seagulls were mewing.  They were flying in circles, staying close to the boat. Their high squawking a permanent background noise to the peaceful cruise. Whenever a gentle wave hit the cruising ship the babbling and burbling water could be heard.

“Birds, water, wing, people. They all make noise!” Luffy continued to talk. He was by no means impressed by the frightened Usopp. Sometimes Usopp was scared. That was nothing new to Luffy. That was how his friend was!

“That sounded like a m-metallic noise! Are you sure, that this b-boat is save?”  
“No!” Luffy said with a laugh. He knew, that travelling by boat could sometimes be dangerous. There was also a couple earlier, that seemed rather angry. Something about the handrail being low enough for their child to climb on. Luffy had not seen a child with them though...

//This is dangerous! //

//You could have fallen and hurt yourself//

//We should report this to the manager and tell them, that his boat is dangerous for children! //

  
“N-no?! What do you mean by that? Did you notice something odd?! Luffy?!” His voice began to raise in panic. He looked around, little beads of sweat forming on his forehead from pure fright.

“No.” Luffy said again, grinning at him. “No, wait! You remember the captain! He has odd hair! I like it!” 

Usopp just frowned. That was not, what he had meant, but he knew that further questioning his friend would be futile.

With a little sigh he looked to Nami and Zorro. They seemed rather amused by the situation.  
“Why are you scared? You and Luffy were burning with passion for this trip as soon as we had the tickets. Do not tell me you regret it now.” Nami said, with a cocktail in her hand. One of the cooks was rather fond of her, always bringing her special cocktails with delicious fruits and a light amount of alcohol. Something refreshing in the rather hot sun. Luffy also liked the cook. It seemed like they made their first new friend. 

“Y-yes! But that does not mean, that I can not worry about this situation?! What if the metallic screeching was something of the boat breaking? The captain said, that it will be two days before we arrive at the first island! How are we going to survive by swimming around in the sea?! Luffy cannot even swim!”  
He gesticulated wildly, pointing at his dark haired friend. Luffy did not worry.

“Metallic noise?” Zorro slowly turned his head towards Usopp, showing a vile grin.  
“You mean, as in something breaking in the engine room. Yeah, I think I heard something like that. Oi, Nami. Did not one of the passengers earlier say, that wild sharks could be sometimes seen from the ship?”  
“Yes, now that you mention it!” Nami looked rather thoughtful, enjoying the little prank they pulled on Usopp.

“W-what?! Sharks?!” Usopp's panic got fueled.

“Sharks? Where?!” While Usopp got paler and paler, Luffy seemed quite eager about the sea-creatures.

“Can we see them? Can I pet them? Sometimes they look people in cages and put them into the water! I wanna do that too!”

“Luffy, you can’t swim!” Nami reminded him, before sighing.

“As if that would matter to him” With a frown Zorro looked into Luffy's direction, before grinning at Usopp.  
“Oi, Usopp, maybe take Luffy to the railing. I am sure you can see the sharks from there!” Of course he knew, that Usopp did not want to do that, but it was enough to make Luffy go excited. He took the hand of his friend and pulled him towards the railing.

“C'mon! Let us see! I hope we see big sharks! Their eyes are always so cool! So dark and black. And their teeth!” While rambling on about the animals, he leaned over the railing, trying to take a good look into the water. Sadly there were no sharks. Maybe under the boat? “Usopp? Don’t you want to look too? Usopp? Oh.”

With a pale face and shivering hands, he gripped the railing, staring into the open sea before slowly leaning over the railing. Just water. No sharks. There were no sharks? Good, but what if they were under the cruiser? He suddenly felt very sick. Hot and cold at the same time. His body continued to shiver and he had problems standing up. Black little dots were glimmering in his sight.  
Oh no-

 

* * *

 

Come Usopp!” Luffy had one arm around his friend, supporting his weight, while looking utterly confused. Why did Usopp throw up? The food had been wonderful, so it had nothing to do with that. (Even though Luffy never had experienced it by himself, he knew that sometimes people could get sick from eating the wrong things, or eating too much. Weird.)

He also had not eaten too much. On the contrary! He had scolded Luffy for stealing his shrimps!

“W-Where are we going?” Usopp seemed a bit confused. He was not sure what was up. He had felt panic and fright, and then turbulences of the sea. Bigger waves had hit the boat. Everything had moved. The boat, his friend, his head. Sharks. Suddenly he had felt sick. At least he had managed to not throw up on the middle of the boat, but over the handrail…

“The doctor! Nami said, there was one!”

It did not take long for them to find the doctor office. Luffy knocked loudly before opening the door.  
“Hello!”

Law had not been able to answer the knocking, before the door had been ripped open by a young man, half carrying his friend. He quickly scanned them, noticing the off-looking colour of the long-nosed person. His fore-head was shiny from the sweat and his hair looked soaked. It was hot, but not humid enough to sweat like this. He seemed pale, nauseous. The way he was clinging to his friend, as if his own two legs could not support his body weight. The way his chest raised and fell, uneven, no perfect rhythm, too quick. There were stains on his shirt. Sweat and probably vomit.

“Lay him on the cot in the side-room. There is a bucket, in case your friend has to throw up again.”

Not the first travel-sick person, that came to visit today. This would be a quick check-up.

 

* * *

 

He was annoyed, seriously annoyed. In general, he disliked someone looking over his shoulder. Now it was tenfold worse. He could feel the breath of the Strawhat behind him. Every few seconds the other one asked him questions about what he was doing, why he was doing that. How could a single person be so annoying?

“How long till Usopp is fit again?! We wanted to play hide n seek in the evening!”

He did not even sound embarrassed while talking about a children’s game!

“It depends on him. It is just some nausea, caused by travel sickness. If your friends rests a few hours, drinks enough water and takes the medicine against the sickness, it will be fine. Let him rest here for a while. Moving him around will make things worse.”

“Hours?! But, can’t you do something, that he is like.. ready in a few minutes?!”

Usopp would later be disappointed! Luffy was sure about that!  
“No.” Law said, with a frown. This boy was grating his nerves.

“But Torao!” He sighed, sitting down the cot Usopp was lying on.

“Torao?” What did the other one mean now?

“Yes! You! You are Torao! Your name sign on the table!” Luffy had just looked at it for a second, when they had entered the doctor’s office. Trafalgar D. Water Law. Too long. Too complicated to say. So Toraoit was. It sounded much more friendly anyway.

“The name sign? My name is not Torao.” He introduced himself, but by looking at the others face he knew it was of no use.  
“Yeah, as I said. Torao! I am Luffy! And this is Usopp! Zorro and Nami are outside! Nami wanted to be with the cook and the cocktails and Zorro wanted beer and naps!”  
Too much unnecessary information. Why was the boy, Luffy, like this? As if he was interested in getting to know him.  
“Okay.” Was all he said, before looking to the long-nosed person. Usopp was his name? Apparently.

“You should let your friend rest now. You can go to your other friends and come in two hours again to check on him.”

“Two hours?!”  
“Yes, two hours. Let him rest. If you push him, it might get worse.”  
“Mh, okay!”

“If he is awake before that and in better condition, I will sent him back to you.”  
“Okay! Till later Torao!”  
With one last glance towards the sleeping frame of Usopp, he walked outside, all energetic.

Something about that doctor was off. He did not feel like the typical doctor. Something made Luffy skeptic. He was going to find out what made him feel this way!

 

 

One and a half hour later Usopp walked back to the deck, humming as he sat down next to his friends.  
“Feeling better?” Nami asked, smiling at the other one.  
“Yeah, mh, got some herbal stuff, apparently that helps with the nausea.”  
“Good. Mh. Luffy is at the buffet. He said, he will eat for you…”  
“I bet he does.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Ten more minutes and the night-shift would take over. There were quite a few medical people on the ship. They were working in shifts, so that everyone could enjoy the trip from time to time.

Law was not sure, what was more annoying though. Todays patients (number one, the weird boy with the Strawhat) or knowing, that he had 24 hours of doing nothing after this. Some hours of sleeping, or trying to sleep, would be enough. Why 24 hours of pause, when he could also work fine after four to six hours of break?

But arguing was futile. He knew that by now. Instead he leaned back in his black chair, staring at the clock and waiting for that old hag to come. The woman, taking over the night shift, was an old lady. She seemed skillful, but some patients seemed intimated by her gruff manner. Probably the reason, why she only worked at night. Less patients. She also seemed to be rather fond of alcohol. He had seen her sipping one wine whenever he met her, but well. It was her decision, not his. 

Law knew, that doctors were one of the professions prone to alcoholism. Then again, as long as you did not do any mistakes (at least none, that get noticed) everything is fine. In their family alcohol had always played a rather big role.  
Doflamingo as well as Cora-san had enjoyed the casual drink. Dark red wine. He did not even want to start talking about the drinking behavior of Diamante or Trebol. There were things he had seen, that he did not want to remember….

Sinking deeper and deeper into his thoughts, he flinched when he heard a loud bang on the door. It opened a mere second later.

“Oi!” The boy from earlier with the weird Strawhat popped his head right in, all grinning and being happy, too happy. Law disliked it.  
“Oi Torao! Thank you for taking care of Usopp! You gonna join us for barbecue tomorrow? The cook said, he will make something super awesome and special for Nami!”  
And that meant, for all right? He could not just cook for Nami!

Law frowned, looking at the boy.

“No.” Not only did he take over the dislike of Cora-san and Doflamingo regarding Barbecue, he also did not want to spend any time with the Strawhat. They did not even know each other. Why did he approach him like this? What was wrong with that boy?

“Why? The old woman with the wine bottle had said, that tomorrow is your free day!” Luffy had talked to her after befriending her protégé Chopper. A young boy, who was traveling and leaving the country for the first time.

“Come! Enjoy your day with us! I am sure it will be funny!”  
“No. I got things to do. I have to make the office ready now for Dr. Kurehas shift. If you need medical attention, please take a seat in the adjacent room and wait for her.”

The way he talked nearly sounded like on automatic. Declining friends invites. Fake friendliness and politeness in doctorism manner. Some people decided on make-up as a mask, others choose to wear a big grin, hiding their intentions. ~~Big grin with teeth and gum and hidden violence.~~

Luffy frowned. He opened the door completely, entering the room, before closing the door behind him. With slow steps he walked towards the desk, looking at Law.

“You do not need to be afraid of us! We are nice people! I will show you!”  
Slowly a nice smile appeared on his face again. It did not feel threatening, it felt somewhat reassuring. Warm and comforting. Since Cora-san died smiles were not comforting anymore.

“Have a nice night and sleep well! You can come to my cabin, in case you cannot sleep!”

With these words he left the room again, leaving Law to his confused thoughts.


	4. Sun Burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to skip last weeks chapter due to being sick <3  
> I am fine now though!
> 
> Thank you all for the nice comments I got + the correction on the name (still a bit embarrassed that happened..)  
> I appreciate it a lot!  
> ______  
> The way Law thinks about alcohol + work or alcoholism in general does not reflect my opinion. Do not drink and drive/work. Do nothing, that could endanger you or others. Be responsible with any kind of legal drug that you consume!

Chapter 4: Sun Burn

 

 written by Devi-San, [illustrated by novicecomics](https://official-novicecomics.tumblr.com/post/182918916906/created-this-as-a-companion-piece-to-devisans) - for the [LawLu BigBang 2018/19](https://lawlu-events.tumblr.com/)

* * *

_“You do not need to be afraid of us! We are nice people! I will show you!”_   
_Slowly a nice smile appeared on his face again. It did not feel threatening, it felt somewhat reassuring. Warm and comforting. Since Cora-san died smiles were not comforting anymore._

* * *

 

 

How was something like that even possible? How long did the other one sleep in the bright sun? Why did his friends not wake him up?

Zorro’s skin was red and raw, and Law was sure, that painful blisters would appear on his chest after a while.

“And… how long did you sleep in the sun? Did you use any kind of sunscreen?”  
“No. And uh- not long, I just took a short nap” Zorro was confused, what was all this about? Why did Nami insist on sending him to the doctor? Why did Luffy agree on it so quickly?  
Usually Luffy was more carefree. Zorro could not remember a single time of Luffy agreeing on visiting a doctor without someone being gravely injured or showing clear signs of sickness.

“A short nap?”  
“Yes, a short nap on the deck of the boat.”  
Luffy started to giggle.  
“Short? You fell asleep right after breakfast! You woke up at noon to eat something and drink beer and then continued to sleep! You slept the entire day!”

Luffy exclaimed while wobbling on the chair. It nearly felt, as if it was not possible for him to stay still for a moment. He may be talking to Zorro, but his gaze was fixed on Law. The doctor felt uneasy because of the intense stare.

Zorro noticed. Luffy was eager about something. That behavior clearly indicated, that Luffy wanted something. It had to do with the doctor, otherwise Luffy had let Usopp accompany him to the office, without insisting on going by himself.

 “…” Law looked at Zorro with utter disbelieve. This could not be possible. If he did not know it better, he would think the other one had been cooked alive.

“Anyway. I can prescribe you a mild lotion, it will cool the irritated skin and help with the natural skin repair. Please refrain from direct sun in the next days and in general use sun screen to protect yourself. Skin Cancer is one of the aftermaths of repetitive sun burns.”

Law kept the more scientific and medical details to himself. Most people did not care about that anyway.

“Yeah, yeah.” Zorro yawned, while the doctor applied some of the lotion. After the treatment he threw the disposable gloves away, before turning around to watch the two of them. During the entire procedure Law had felt Luffy’s eyes on himself. It was somewhat unnerving. The worst thing was, it did not feel like the other one wanted to control him. Wanted to check, if he was doing everything right. Law felt like Luffy was watching _him_ and not the procedure.

“Okay, I am done, you can-“He hesitated and took a look at his patient again. Snoring?! He was snoring. Why was he sleeping?! How did he-. It had been less than a minute?!  
Luffy laughed, while examining the expression on Torao’s face. It was always amusing to watch people’s expressions, when they encountered his friends!  
“He falls asleep easy! Let him nap! Or he will be grumpy!” Luffy got up with a grin on his face, before leaving the room, trailing towards the adjacent room. Torao’s desk was located there, he wanted to take a look around! He was curious!

Law watched Zorro for a moment, before turning towards Luffy, following him.  
“I guess, he can rest here for a while and later return to you- what are you doing?”

The other one was leaning over his table, examining the things he had on the table. There were not many things, considering that he had to share the work space with the other doctors. The only personal thing decorating the table was a single picture.

It was an old one. It meant a lot to Law.

“You looked as grumpy as child, as you look now! Shishishi” Luffy said with a warm smile. At first, he wanted to take the frame into his hands. He wanted to examine it closer, but he felt instinctively that it was something very dear to Torao. As much as he liked to disregard certain rules… no, this was something personal Torao was not willing to share. Yet.

The desk was neat and clean, entirely different than from the old hag’s desk. A lot of empty bottles had been standing around, random books and scraps of paper. Weird books with disgusting looking skin diseases and other kinds of gross stuff Luffy did not care about.

“I was not grumpy.” Law said with a bitter voice. The picture had been taken shortly after he had been adopted by the Donquixote family. He had hated everyone’s guts back then.

“You were. Look how big your frown is! Even bigger, than earlier, when you saw me again!”

Luffy looked up from the photograph, locked his eyes into Laws.

“Who is that man? Your father?” They looked entire differently, but Bellemere also looked different than Nami and her sister. Family did not mean, that people had to share visual characteristics! Family was much more than blood after all.

“Yes, I mean no, He was-. It does not matter.”

Law did not want to talk about Corazon. As much as he would like to think back about his warmth and love, it always was bound to the feeling of grief and loss. He missed him. It hurt. The logical consequence was not thinking back, trying to push away the thoughts. But then again, was it not something ignorant to do? Not thinking about happy times, because they made him sad? Was that disrespectful?

“It does matter. At least for you” Luffy said, before getting up, walking around the desk and stopping in front of him.

“I am sure he was a good father.”  
Law frowned, glaring daggers at the smaller one. This brat- he had no idea. Yes. Corazon had been a good father. Law disliked the way the Strawhat just came into his office and started questioning personal things. Law wanted to get rid of him. He wanted to push the other one away ~~, like he always did with potential friends nowadays.~~

“As soon as your friend wakes up, I will send him back to you.”  
“Alright!”  
Law felt uneasy. It was, as if the other one had seen through his façade. Something was there. Something he could not pinpoint.

“Strawhat?”

“Yes, Torao?” Luffy turned around, beaming with a grin on his face.  
“I do not want to have another appointment with one of your little friends tomorrow.”  
“Oh! Do not worry! I watch out for my people!”

After the other one had left, Law let himself fall down on his chair. With a sigh he leaned back, sinking deep into the comfortable cushions. And he had thought, that yesterday had been annoying. How naïve he felt now for thinking that. Maybe he should have just taken the weeks of mandatory vacation, instead of this nightmare.

Why did he think, that a cruise ship tour could be enough of a distraction from his problems?! He cursed himself internally, while staring at the wooden picture frame. The frame was burnt in one corner. Corazon’s doing. He smiled for a second, thinking about the incident. Soon his thoughts drifted elsewhere, so he pushed them away. ~~Again and again.~~

He did not like the Strawhat boy. At first glance the other one seemed rather goofy and moronic. He seemed like one of these people, who caused chaos wherever they went.  
On the other hand, Law had an uneasy feeling about him in his guts. The way the Strawhat had looked at the picture, the way he had talked to him. Luffy was by no means as dumb as he might appear first. The Strawhat had been quick at coming to a conclusion. His staring and grinning. He had known. But how? Law had always thought he had a rather good poker-face. One of the things you learned in the Donquixote family. ~~Conceal your true feelings, hide your motives, survive~~. Sometimes, when Law thinks back, he notices more and more, that Cora-san had been the only one being completely honest with him.

If someone like the Strawhat could look through him, who else could see through the façade?  
Was he overthinking things? God. He felt the dull throbbing of a beginning headache in his skull.

“Damn Strawhat” he murmured to himself, just to hear half a chuckle, half a yawn. Zorro was standing in the doorframe, looking at Law with tired eyes.

“You look done” he murmured before heading towards the door, “Don’t overthink Luffy.” Zorro said before leaving. Apparently Luffy had taken interest on Law. Maybe he could have warned the doctor, then again, he was too tired to think about a proper way to describe a force like Luffy. He should find the others and then continue to nap.

Law looked dumbfounded. What? Apparently, his thoughts were obvious. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. Maybe he should do it like Dr. Kureha and drink away his memories and dark thoughts. It seemed easier than coming to terms with them in a proper and healthy way. ~~Not that his way of dealing with emotional stress was healthy.~~ With a sigh he stopped looking at the picture showing himself sitting on Cora-sans lap. His round face was showing an ugly pout, cheeks red of embarrassment and childish tears swelling up in his eyes.

Law never had liked attention. Neither as kid, nor now. The picture had been taken shortly, after he joined the Donquixote family. Cora-san had wanted to take a picture of them both. Something like father and son. Back then, Law had not been able to accept Cora-san as father. In the beginning he had only seen Cora-san as a weird old man, who took him out of pity from the orphanage. Later he had learned, that it had been Doflamingo’s doing. Pointing out Law’s tragic past and pushing Cora-sans buttons. A promising doctor’s son was a nice addition to his ~~pawns~~ family. Not that Law minded. It was probably the best, that could have happened.

Law sighed at his thoughts and looked down at the frame again. On contrary to his own grumpy expression, Cora-san had grinned widely. One of his huge hands was resting on Laws shoulder, the other pointed towards the camera. As if Law had not known, what to do in such a situation. Cora-san had tried so hard to make him smile. More than once. He had failed. By now Law wished, he had smiled more. For Cora-san sake ~~and maybe for his own~~.

With a silent sigh he got up and started to clean the desk, as well as the treatment room. It was not his job to clean. They had cleaning staff in charge of disinfecting everything after each treatment. Right now, it was all Law needed. Something to do. Something to keep himself busy. Something to occupy his body and therefore restrict his mind.

His shift would end soon. He wanted nothing more, than to take a few drinks and at least try to get some sleep. His sleep-deprivation also correlated with his mood. The less sleep, the darker and depressed his mood got. One could only work so much, before the body pulled the break and forced one to rest. Stupid damping and calming chemicals released by the body to prevent damage due to sleep-deprivation. It was difficult to fight versus the own hormonal cycle. Power of hormones, synapsis and receptors was too strong.

Law busied himself until Dr. Kureha took the shift over. He did not even listen to her banter about how everything was too clean and why the ship even paid a cleaning staff if Law was doing all by himself. Grumpy old hag. She should stick closer to her wine and let him be by himself.

 

* * *

 

When Zorro arrived at his friends table, Luffy was shoveling food down his throat and Nami was sipping on a cocktail that looked too fancy to contain enough alcohol for Zorro’s taste.

“Oi. Zorro. Luffy said you were as red as the lobster he ate earlier. Better not nap in the sun tomorrow!” Nami said with a taunting voice. She had warned him, before he had fallen asleep in the sun. The Redhead had even offered him some sun-screen (not for free though).

“Maybe, dunno. Does not matter, will heal.”

Luffy looked at him and nodded before trailing off, gathering more food to devour.

“Luffy found a new victim. Doctor seemed like he is about to lose it. He looked done, when he saw Luffy and me.”

Nami raised one eyebrow. She was not sure if it was really Luffy’s fault this time or if it was the bright red skin colour of Zorro, that had made the doctor wonder. Then again, Luffy’s behavior earlier had been weird. He had listened to her and brought Zorro to the doctor. Without a fuss! That had been surprising…

“How did the doctor look?” Usopp asked, wondering if it was the same one as yesterday.

“Dark hair, darker skin type, some tattoos, tired, grumpy.”  
“Yeah, sounds accurate.” Usopp thought about the creepy appearance of the doctor. He had not looked like the typical doctor in a white coat with a nice smile! More than the horror movie kind of doctor. He had been nice and competent though, so … Usopp would not complain.

“Luffy mentioned, that he invited him for barbeque today, but the doctor declined.”  
Nami looked at her two friends, before smiling cat-like.  
“Who wants to bet? The doctor will join us for dinner at least once before the cruise-trip ends?”  
Silence.

They all knew, what was going to happen.

“Oh, c’mon” Nami sighed, leaning back. Maybe this had been a little bit too obvious?  
After it was sure, that none of the boys wanted to bet with her, she looked around. Maybe she should go to the casino-room and play a bit for money. She had never been a gambling person, at least not at something that was truly luck based. But some games could be either won by strategy or by distracting the other players. Most people playing here were elder men. It was easy for her to distract those!  
“I am going to earn a bit of money. Anyone of you wants to join? Or will you stay here?”  
She asked, before something caught her interest. Nami raised one eyebrow. Luffy stood in the middle of the way leading towards the dining area. He had a huge, overfilled plate in his one hand, while he stuffed his face with the other. So far, nothing unusual.  

Luffy was watching someone. When Nami followed Luffy’s gaze, she noticed a dark-haired man. Was that the doctor? Apparently. His clothes seemed rather pricey, fitting for a well-earning doctor. Tight fitting black jeans and a blue-ish Hoodie with some fur or feathers around the upper part. It looked, like there was a yellow sign or symbol on the Hoodie? She could not make out any details because of the distance towards him. The most interesting part about the doctor had nothing to do with his looks. It was Luffy’s interest in him. By now she had learned, that if Luffy was interested in someone, that person had something special to them.

“You know what guys? I rather stay with you then play with some old geezers some card games.”

She was curious about the doctor and Luffy’s interest towards him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos are appreciated <3


	5. Blisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He would come again. Personal questions. Knowing too much, asking too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the great support. I really appreciate it >_

 

 Chapter 5: Blisters

 

 

 written by Devi-San, [illustrated by novicecomics](https://official-novicecomics.tumblr.com/post/182918916906/created-this-as-a-companion-piece-to-devisans) - for the [LawLu BigBang 2018/19](https://lawlu-events.tumblr.com/)

* * *

_“You know what guys? I rather stay with you then play with some old geezers some card games.”_

_She was curious about the doctor and Luffy’s interest towards him._

* * *

 

 “Oi, Nami.” Luffy had noticed the way Nami’s posture and way of walking had changed a while ago. Why was she limping, did she hurt herself? He would have noticed her twisting her ankle or her tripping, it must be something different then.

He walked beside her, grinning as she looked at him in a questioning way. The way Luffy gazed at her and then at her heels. Something was up.

“Why did you buy these shoes if you cannot walk in them?” She was wearing light-brown sandals with high heels. It could not be comfortable walking in them. Luffy was confused why so many women (and some men) were wearing these kinds of shoes. They looked more like a device made to hurt someone and not like proper shoes!

“Luffy!” Nami did not appreciate the question, she looked angry at first and then huffed in annoyance. By now everyone in their friends-group was used to Luffy’s weird questions and tics.  
Often it seemed like he did not understand a lot of things, but Nami somehow felt, as if he most of the time knew more than it seemed.

“What? Did you just buy them, because you like the colour? Or do you think they’ll fit better after a while?”  
Not that Luffy knew much about shoes. He has had the same pair of sandals since a few years. He only buys new ones, when his old ones were too loose and broken beyond repair. Luffy never had cared much for clothes. Something looked cool, he bought it and wore it till he needed something new. The world was far too exciting to bother with something simple and unimportant like clothes!

“Yes, I like the colour. And hmpf” She would not explain to Luffy, that these shoes emphasized her female curves! Pushing her chest and lower back slightly forward. Making her bosom and behind seem bigger, more appealing.

“But I think I got a blister from them.” She sighed heavily. She did not want to stop wearing them, but then again, blisters would make walking more difficult. Walking had started to hurt a while ago and it would not get better...

“Mh, when we are back on the cruiser, we can go to the doctor there! Torao is really nice!”  
“Torao?”  
“Yeah, the doctor! The one I went to with Zorro and Usopp!” There was a big grin on his face.  
“Oh right, I remember.” Nami thought about it for a moment. The good-looking doctor in fine clothes, who would ensure that she could continue wearing her sandals?

“Yes, I will go there.” Even though it was weird, that Luffy was suggesting visiting a doctor for something simple like a blister. Seems like Luffy was really interested in that person.  
Luffy nodded. He was excited to meet Torao again. Maybe today the other one would join them for barbeque! It would surely help the doctor with the darkness occupying his mind!

 

 

They had spent the rest of the noon going to different shops, interacting with the locals and relaxing a bit in one of the Cafes close to the shore.

When it was almost evening Nami sighed, feeling numbness instead of pain in her feet by now.  
“I think we should head back and I really need to give that Doctor a visit!” She said with a big grin. It was nice to see Luffy being so eager about something or someone. This time it was at least nothing dangerous!

* * *

 

It was almost as expected. Travel sick people and sunburned people had been a continuous occurrence on this ship. There were less people with blisters though. Apparently not everyone wanted to wander around a lot. No surprise considering the immense summer heat at the moment. Only one elder couple had visited him for some blistering plasters.

When he heard a rather familiar knock on his door he flinched. Not again. By now the dark-haired boy had visited him twice.  
One time with his weird long-nosed friend and a second time with some green-haired dude who had the worst sunburn Law ever had witnessed. Both times it had been rather chaotic.

The patients had not been a problem. The only problematic person so far had been Luffy. By now, he knew the name of the Strawhat. Quite a few people on the cruiser knew him after a few days.

Luffy was like a crazy whirlwind. In his office he had looked around, taken some of the medical stuff, questioning about the usage, questioning Law personal stuff. ~~He should stay away. Safer. Isolation.~~

The first meeting with Luffy had been annoying, one of the most annoying patients/supports he had the pleasure of meeting in a while. Law had endured it, ~~like he always did.~~ His hope had been, that he would not have to see the other one again. He was wrong though.

On the second day Luffy’s questions had been even more personal. What was up with the boy. Did he not know about personal space? Apparently not.  
The worst part was... as dumb as Law first expected the boy to be, his empathy and emotional intelligence was incredibly high. The questions had been on point, making Law uncomfortable and uneasy. ~~The threatening undertone was missing though. Tongue keen as a razor. Eyes hidden. Prodding. Questioning. Tormenting.~~ Did he reveal so much of himself on the first day? He was kind of nervous what the boy would do today. Would he question him again?!

Of course, he could always send him away, but then again… he did not come alone, he always came with a patient, one of his friends. It felt, as if Luffy knew, that approaching him alone would make Law push him away.

The second knock on the door was louder. Slowly Law headed towards the door, open it in a reluctant manner.

“Torao! How are you!? Nami has worn the wrong shoes for wandering! Did you sleep? No, you did not! Why don’t you sleep? Ask Zorro! He is good at sleeping!”

Nami just shook her head. Poor doctor.  
“Come in.” Law sighed before closing the door after the two.

“Luffy, will you wait outside? Let me talk to the doctor?” It would make things less awkward for either the doctor, as well as for Nami. The way the doctor reacted to Luffy showed, how uneasy he was. Luffy refused though. He had a big grin on his face, as he sat down on the free chair.

“Eh? I wanna talk to Torao!” Luffy laughed amused. As if he would go outside! By now Nami should know, that he had a mind on his own!

But on contrary to his words, he watched in silence, as Law checked Nami’s hurting foot.  
“Nothing is twisted or broken, those shoes are way too tight. They are restricting the blood flow in your toes. They are rubbing your skin raw as well, the reason for your blisters. I will give you some lotion. I will apply it for now, make sure to either wear comfortable shoes or, even better, to be barefoot. Put the ointment on, whenever you start to feel the burning sensation again.”

Long, tender fingers were massaging the lotion onto the raw skin. Nami sighed heavy, as she felt the burning pain fade away.

“Your fingers are skilled” She tried to flirt with the doctor, but Law ignored her. Not only was the doctor pushing away Luffy, but also her! Weird person.

“Luffy, are you coming?” Nami asked, after getting up from the cot. The throbbing in her foot was way better now.  

“No! I join you guys later! I wanna chat some more with Torao!” The grin on Luffy’s face did not fade, he simple ignored the way Law looked at him in a shocked way.

“Are you sure?”  
“Yup!”  
Nami sighed and smiled at Law. Well, she had tried. She could only hope, that soon Luffy would think about the evening buffet and then losing interest in spending more time with the doctor.  
“What do you want from me?” Law asked, after Nami had closed the door. He sighed heavily and sat down in the chair behind the desk.

He took the now empty coffee cup in his hands, turning the coffee machine on. He definitely needed coffee after dealing with the brat again. It also felt safer to have something in his hands, something to occupy at least part of him.

“What I want? Silly question! What do you want? Why are you not happy? For someone being able to save so many lives you seem in a rather dark mood!”

“I do not know what you are talking about. Everyone is in a bad mood from time to time.” Slowly Law raised one eyebrow. How did Luffy get these ideas? He could not simply look through his masquerade, could he?

“From time to time? Yeah, but you are not!” The grin did not falter, it was still cheering, still warm. Usually Law would feel threatened by a big grin. Especially while talking about uncomfortable topics.

~~Big grin, white teeth, revealed gum, sunglasses. These things would trigger not happy memories for the doctor. Isolation. Self-worth. Sacrifice. Shady deals. Things he should not know...~~

Luffy’s grin was quite the opposite. Warm and nice. Gentle in a way. And yet powerful enough to make others join him in his happy mood.

“Everyone here is happy! Isn’t this your holiday too? It is awesome seeing so many different islands, eating so much food and being able to talk with all these people! Come on! Enjoy it! Tomorrow you go with us! I will show you, how to have fun!!!!”

“I have to work.”

“You are not the only doctor here! There are two others and I am sure you can get one free day!”

If Luffy knew, that there were other doctors on board, why did he always come to him with his friends? Especially with... all of his friends. Yesterday they even had to wait, till the other patient had been outside. And still … Luffy had decided to bring his friend to him and not to the other doctors.

“I am excited for tomorrow! Just think about all the delicious meat we can eat!”

Law glared at the other one.  
“I did not say yes.”  
“You do not need to! I know, that you want to!”

Again, there was this laugh of the boy. It was a cheerful sound, kind of quirky and it had a special ring to it. ~~It was no threatening **Fufufufu** that let one’s blood freeze into the veins.~~

It was a **Shishishi** sound, that let Laws lips twitch a bit. His body wanting to follow the smile, but he could not, at least not yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos appreciated <3
> 
> There might be a pause with next weeks chapters, due to me writing my Bachelorthesis!


	6. Stomach-Issues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww. Thank you again for the comments and Kudos <3
> 
>  
> 
> ____  
> The way Law thinks about alcohol + work or alcoholism in general does not reflect my opinion. Do not drink and drive/work. Do nothing, that could endanger you or others. Be responsible with any kind of legal drug that you consume!

Chapter 6: Stomach-Issues

\- written by Devi-San, [illustrated by novicecomics](https://official-novicecomics.tumblr.com/post/182918916906/created-this-as-a-companion-piece-to-devisans) - for the [LawLu BigBang 2018/19](https://lawlu-events.tumblr.com/)

* * *

_Again, there was this laugh of the boy. It was a cheerful sound, kind of quirky and it had a special ring to it. ~~It was no threatening **Fufufufu**  that let one’s blood freeze into the veins.~~_

_It was a **Shishishi** sound, that let Laws lips twitch a bit. His body wanting to follow the smile, but he could not, at least not yet._

* * *

 

Law was restless. He was not sure why he felt like this. The night had been rather relaxing. He had managed five hours of sleep, which was quite a lot for a person like him.  
  
The morning had been eventless. He had managed to eat his breakfast in a relaxed manner. No annoying people had bothered him. The Strawhat had been nowhere in sight. Some folks might call it paranoia, Law called ‘staying safe.’  
After breakfast Law went to the doctor’s office, swapped shifts with Dr. Kureha. She sounded a bit buzzed. The room was left in a mess. Good thing, that the cleaning staff took care of it in a swift manner.   
  
Law was already waiting for the inevitable to happen. He sat at the desk, waiting for the Strawhat to barge in. One of his friends in whatever condition. But he did not come. There were a few elder people in need of some light medication against nausea, some girls wanting lotion for the blisters on their feet or lotion for their sunburns. One teen had come with a twisted ankle and another person with a migraine was currently resting in one of the prepared rooms. So far, nothing unusual. So far, no Strawhat.

In the last hour no one had come to visit him. It could be, that it was because one of the doctors sharing his shift was way more friendly (especially towards children). But well, nothing Law was concerned about. He disliked children. Their usual friendliness, the innoence, their open manner made him uneasy. Damn, mandatory three-month traineeship on the pediatric ward had been hell. Law wanted a different traineeship. He had three to pick from and Doflamingo had picked for him. He was supposed to be good with children. He was supposed to take care of the future family descendants.   
  
Law sighed. Not the things he wanted to think about at the moment. He had to admit, that sitting around at the moment and doing nothing, was not doing him any good. It never did. His mind wandered off to the Strawhat more times than Law liked to admit. Did he finally realize, that the attempts at befriending him had been futile? Probably. It was just a typical thing. ~~It had happened before many times.~~  
  
People always tried to befriend him. Somehow, they constantly thought, he had a cool or special vibe to him or maybe it was due to the fancy clothes from the Donquixote-brand. Law did not care about their reasons. After being declined two, three or more times, they realized that Law had no interest in them. Usually, the attempts at trying to befriend him stopped by then. Law always thought of these people as pathetic beings, like Doflamingo has advised Law. The Donquixote had taught him many things that stuck with Law till today. If these people were sincerely interested in him, they were supposed to try harder! That is what he had said.   
Cora-san always said, that friends would stick with him, even in critical times. These pathetic attempts at befriending him made Law feel, as if they were not genuinely interested in Law but only in what he represented.  ~~A perfect little Donquixote spawn, made and raised to be a loyal pawn.~~  
  
However, something had seemed unusual about the Strawhat. Law could not pinpoint what it was. The cheerful grin, the shishishi or just his presence in general. It had some fairly familiar vibe. With a sigh he took one of the medical books standing next to him. They were outdated, probably just there to look cool and professional. But well, better read something, then being bored.

With every passing minute, with every voice outside the door, that was not the Strawhat his mood dropped a bit further.

  
When his shift was finally over, he was angry and frustrated. Of course, he had to be right. Of course, no one would be like Cora-san ever again. Trying hard to be friends with him, to get close to him.

  
Sometimes Law was not quite sure if it was his own fault, that he ended up without friends, or if he could blame being raised by a megalomaniac sociopath. It was always easier to blame others than to admit, that only he could alter his attitude.   
The exchange of the room was easily made. The cleaning staff did not have much to do. The migraine-patient was still resting. After filing in his report, he left the room. With a grumpy expression on his face, he walked towards the deck.

  
No. Law was in no mood of idle socialising. He did not want to see any more people than necessary. With a sigh he turned around and walked towards his cabin. The more time he spent with Dr. Kureha, the more Law thought that maybe alcohol was the solution he needed, chemical pun intended. 

  
Grim thoughts spread through his mind as the keycard was pushed through the card system. The door opened and with another sigh Law fell into his bed. Maybe he should have spent the mandatory time-off with the family. Better than feeling yet another disappointment.

Law was not sure how long he had spent brooding in bed. Long enough, considering his alarm clock showed nine in the evening. His shift had ended four hours ago. Wait- what was this noise? Someone was hammering against his door.  
“Torao!!! I know you are in there! Torao!”  
Laws eye twitched. No. He had spent too much time thinking about the Strawhat. This was just another auditory hallucination.   
“Torao?! Are you sleeping?” 

  
With a sigh and the familiar throbbing, that would soon start to be a migraine, he opened the door.  
“No. But if I was, now I would be awake anyway!” He growled, looking at the over enthusiastic boy in front of him. Why was the damn boy constantly smiling!? Who could be in such a upbeat mood all the fucking time?!  
“Good that I did not wake you up then! You often look tired!”  
“Why are you here…?” Law was in no mood for idle talk. 

  “I uhm-“ Luffy frowned. He wanted to ask him for the barbeque again. Nami did say, that Torao was just gonna decline again, if he did it the same way as the days before. Stubborn! Who could decline good food this often?! Nami did suggest, that he could fake some kind of disease to spent time with Torao but Usopp said, that Toroa was probably to smart for that. True, then again. He could just try!  
  
“I uh- have a stomach ache!” It was the first thing that entered his mind. His eyes were still gleaming, and the corners of his mouth were twitching. It was hard to fake sickness! Luffy was in a good mood, and he wanted to show it!  
“You have a stomach ache?” Laws voice was monotone. Even though he was a relatively young doctor, he had his fair share of people trying to fake illness. Some because of medicine-addiction, some to get free from work, others due to psychological reasons. All these people had one thing in common, though. They did it way better and realistic than the Strawhat in front of him! The way he starred at him; eyes locked deeply into his. His mouth was twitching to much; his whole posture was tensed up. One did not have to be a genious to recognize these signs.   
“Are you sure?  
“N- Yes!” Luffy knew, that liars often looked away. They said that in one of the criminal shows. So, he had to look in Torao’s eyes to make him believe! He stared. Intensely.  
“Okay. Did you consume something odd?”  
“No! I did not eat at all! I waited with the dinner until you come. You did not come out on the deck! So, I went to search you! Hn-“ Luffy’s stomach rumbled loudly. He was starved! He had not eaten since noon! That was nearly six hours ago!   
“You searched me, because I did not come to the deck?”  
“Yes!”  
“I thought you came to me because of your stomach issues.” Law suppressed a sly grin. Too easy.

“I-“ Luffys eyes widened a bit, before he started to laugh.“I am not good at lying! Usopp is extremely good at that!”  
Law was fascinated. How easy the boy could admit, that he was bad at something this substantial. Lying. Who managed to live without lying?!   
“But yes. I wanted to find you! After talking to the old had, she described me, where your cabin is! Come now! Let us go eat! After ten we cannot eat the deck anymore!”  
“No, Str-Luffy. I do not want to eat with you. I dislike barbeque, and I do not want to be with either you or your friends on the deck.”  
For a moment there was a frown on Luffy’s face, before he grinned again.

“Okay!” He turned around, taking a few steps away from the other’s door. Law stood there, frozen. He left. As easy as that? He pushed away the feelings of regret and isolation. Numbness spread through his veins, making it easier to accept. As always.   
Slowly, Luffy turned his head around, grinning at Law.   
“If you do not wanna be with us on the deck, then I bring my friends to you! We eat at your cabin!”  
Law was too shocked to react for a moment. In his cabin-  
“Wait, no!”   
This boy. He had not let him down.

„Okay, fine!“Law exhaled, while gently massaging his throbbing temples. This boy gave him a terrible headache. He wished for nothing more than some painkillers, coffee and a cigarette amd maybe a good lay to get rid of these thoughts.  
“If I go and eat with you once, will you stop bothering me?!”  
“Yes!” Luffy grinned. He knew, he could convince the other one!  
“You and your friends will not come to my office room again. If one of you is dying, you will go to one of the other doctors!”  
“Sure!” Luffy laughed, amused by Laws reaction. He had known, that Law was more than the calm and unapproachable person!

“Come! I am starving!” He reached for the others hand, simply pulling the other one towards him. “Let us go to the others! Nami likes you! Usopp is scared of you! But he is frightened of many things! He will get used to you! Just talk to him about robots or comics! Or insects!”

“Of course you are hungry, so much to stomach problems!” He knew, the other one had been faking! It had been so obvious. He had never witnessed such a pathetic case of faking… in all his years as student or now doctor. Merely observing him lie, had made Law feel awful. Stomach Issues... He had watched Luffy eat. The amount of food the other one had stuffed into himself in the short time Law, had observed him, had been… surprising. Law was curious. Was it a special medical condition? Luffy was not obese; in fact the boy was far from it. He was more of a scrawny person with a hint of muscles. Not enough muscles to justify the intake of the immense amount of calories. Maybe these thoughts would distract him from the annoying company of the Strawhat and his odd friends. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way Law thinks about friendship is not healthy. He was raised by the Donquixotes in this fanfic. Even though he lives not with them anymore, it still sticks to his very core.


	7. Giving In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly Law is opening up >_<  
> This is the second last chapter and I am getting nervous uff. 
> 
> Anyways!  
> Thank you for the nice comments <3  
> It made me really happy to read those (while I struggled with writing my thesis xD)

Chapter 7: Giving In

\- written by Devi-San, illustrated by [novicecomics ](https://official-novicecomics.tumblr.com/post/182918916906/created-this-as-a-companion-piece-to-devisans)\- for the [LawLu BigBang 2018/19](https://lawlu-events.tumblr.com)

* * *

_Law was curious. Was it a special medical condition? Luffy was not obese; in fact the boy was far from it. He was more of a scrawny person with a hint of muscles. Not enough muscles to justify the intake of the immense amount of calories. Maybe these thoughts would distract him from the annoying company of the Strawhat and his odd friends._

* * *

 

“Zorro! Nami! Usopp!” Luffy called his friends, while waving with his free arm. “Got him!”  
He flopped down on the free chair, pointing to the other one next to him.  
“Sit down Torao!” He cheered, grinning broadly.  
“It took you longer, then I expected” Zorro said with a smirk, scrutinizing the other one. Luffy had a talent to get what he wanted, whatever he wanted. 

“Yes, I was starting to wonder, if I should have betted against Nami!” Usopp said with a little nervous laughter. He still felt weird around the doctor. He had a weird aura to himself. Something Usopp could not put his finger on. He was calmer than the first time they met, though. If Luffy trusted the doctor, he would do so too (even though a little bit of caution would harm nobody). 

“Sadly, you did not~," Nami said with a playful sigh, before smiling at Law. It was a warm smile. She could very much understand how the other must feel. It was always weird being the new one to a group of people, who already knew each other and were close friends.   
“Do I want to know what bet this was?” Law said in a gruff tone of voice. He already guessed it was about him, and he was sure, that he would not like to know… whatever it was about.

“Nami wanted to bet, if I get you before the trip ends! But no one wanted to bet against her!” The voice of Luffy was cheerful. “Nami never loses a bet! If you want to keep your money, do not bet against her! Or play with her!”   
“Oi!” Nami raised her fist. “Do not warn the new one!” Now the chances of milking the new one for easy money were gone. Damn Luffy being nice and social.

“You took out enough people on this ship already! No need to also take out one of us!” Zorro said, before looking at Law, who seemed rather confused.

“You! Silent! I did not forget how much money you still owe me! You understand me?! One day I will come to your apartment and snatch all your liquor and sell it!”  
“No way!”

“Are your friends always... you know... like this?” Law said. One moment the others seemed like typical adults and the next second they acted as if they were bickering teenagers. They all seemed to know each other very well. 

Envy.

Friendship.

He despised it. ~~He missed it.~~

“Yes! They are funny!” Luffy hummed and looked over to the dining area. “The evening buffet opens soon! I am starving! I want chicken, pork, the lobster…”  
Law frowned. How could the boy be starving? He had witnessed what the other one devoured for lunch! He shook his head.   
“Get used to it.” Zorro leaned back in his chair, observing Luffy and Usopp for a moment, before closing his eyes.  
“Wake me up, when the buffet opens. I wanna get at least some meat before Luffy eats it all!”

Somehow Law got the impression that this was not only a figure of speech but something must have happened in the past.   
  
“Oi!” Luffy grinned.  
“It is not my fault! They should not name it All-You-Can-Eat if they only have a limited amount of food!”

Usopp grinned. Oh god. He remembered the face of the poor cooks and waiters. He pitied them. The way the waiters face had twisted in surprise, disbelief and horror.

“I am pretty certain they did lose a week worth of profit with you. You ate for ten people at least.”  
“Nami did not have time that evening! I had to eat for her too!”  
“As if I eat that much!“ Nami scolded him. “Just because you represent the epitome of a glutton!” 

Their bickering went forth and back. Somehow, Law felt himself relax more and more. It almost felt, as if the others were not bothered by his presence.   
“Oi! Torao! Come on, get something to eat with me! Zorro! Wake up!” Luffy did not wait for an answer. He practically ran towards the buffet.   
  
It was half amusing, half disgusting to watch. The word gluttonous Nami mentioned before was rather fitting in Laws opinion. As cheerful and happy as Luffy seemed most of the time, considering food he seemed more like a greedy pig. And he ate like one. He chewed with his mouth open, talked while having his mouth half full. It was not exactly a delightful thing to watch and still… Law was amused. Zorro had started to keep up with Luffy’s eating tempo but gave up promptly after. Usopp had overloaded his plate with food. Law had begun to wonder, why the other one had so much food on his plate, when he ate like an almost normal person. He observed Luffy snatching half of the food, so it made sense… Was it a tribute for their friendship? Apparently. Nami was the only one eating and behaving like a proper ordinary, decent and sane person (at least concerning eating behaviors). The only weird thing about her was the force she used to ram the fork into one of Luffy’s fingers, whenever he tried to steal something from her table.

“Get your greasy fingers off my plate! You do not even like fruit salad that much! Oh Law, I hope you are not bothered by these guys behaviors. They got no manners!”

After talking for a while, she had found out, that his name was Law. She had wondered where the Torao was coming from… since on his name tag was written Dr. Trafalgar D. W. L. 

“My family had been rather unique too, so do not worry.” Not so greedy, not so animalistic and seeming like starved people fighting over some fiber… but weird in other… places. Luffy sitting next to him, eating like a maniac (and mauling his food in a way, that Law found some pieces of it, on his own plate), was still better than Trebol with the always running gooey nose. Disgusting…

“Oh your family? You mean the man from the picture?”

With a quick swipe of his tongue, Luffy fetched the piece of chicken sticking to his lower lip. Even though he seemed focused on eating, he had watched and observed Law the entire time.

“Yes. Father, well-“ Law tilted his head a little bit. “Adoptive father.”   
Law loved Corazon, had cherished him … but it still felt inappropriate to say, that Corazon had been his only father. The few memories he had about his blood family. Law was fond of these fragments of happiness and joy. 

“Adoptive or not. Family is family.” Nami smiled softly, blue painted nails clicking against the cocktail glass Sanji had brought her.   
“True!” Luffy grinned. “Who cares who is born by whom, or whose blood is in your veins! Family is what you feel!” 

He nodded before shoving another enormous piece of meat into his mouth. If Laws thoughts were not occupied by the family talk, he would probably wonder if Luffy had a gag reflex at all. He was certain, he had seen pieces of non-chewed meat sliding down his throat.   
“I guess that is one way to put it.”

Law remained quiet for the rest of the dinner. The way Strawhat looked at him, knowingly. There was something powerful in this look. Determination. 

“Come Torao! I show you my favorite place!” 

Law looked up with a frown. How could the other one be this active and eager again? How did he have this much energy?! Did he not want to relax after such a substantial meal and relax a bit? Law was pretty sure he could a little bulge in his stomach from all the food. But no, apparently the other one did not need to rest.

“Sure.”

One evening. Their deal had been one evening spent together. Just a few more hours and he could crawl back into his cabin again. He just had to survive this evening. Was it what he desired? Isolation. Loneliness.   
Luffy led the way through dining area. Once again, he was babbling and babbling. 

“We are always the last people in the dining area! The others finish their food so quickly! They eat so little.”

“You are the best doctor here! You took care of my friends.”

“Sanji is our friend too now! He cooks awesome food! Nami likes his Cocktails!”

“The old hag is a cool doctor too! Are you two friends?”

“You are our friend now too!”

“Tomorrow you must try the eel! The way Sanji prepares-,“  
“What did you say?” Law had ignored most of the things the Strawhat said. Did he mishear him? 

“You must try the eel!” 

“No, before that.”

“That you belong to us now!” Confusion was written all over Luffy’s face. Law was acting in a bizarre way. It was clear, that he did not want to be alone, so why did he isolate himself? If he wanted friends, why wouldn't he make any? It was not so difficult!  
“Don’t worry! The others like you, cause I like you. If Zorro is hurt again in training, I can bring him to you, right?”

Law took a deep breath.

“You know I only accepted the invitation because you kept coming every day to my office. This, whatever you believe this is, it is not a friendship.”  
“It is!”   
“… How do you think it will work out, after the trip? Only a few days left. You will go to your place again, and I will go to mine. Are you even living in the same city as I am?”

Probably not. Hopefully not. Hopefully yes. No-, he should not get his hopes up.

“Why should distance end a friendship? I am still friends with Vivi! She was in our class for a year! She is now back to Alabasta! And yup! Same city!”  
“And why do you think, that you know where I live and work?”   
“Heard the nurses talking! You work in the hospital in the city I live!” 

There was it again. The big, knowing grin. It made Laws toes curl in, and his breath accelerate. Big, knowing grin. Threatening. Dangerous. No. The last two things were not fitting. There was no sheer endless row of teeth, no gum revealed. Eyes hidden. Instead, there were warmth and joy. Law sighed. It felt like he was talking to a wall. 

“Awesome.” It did not sound honest, but Luffy did not seem to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos appreciated!


	8. Giving Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of this fanfic <3 
> 
> Thank you again Novicecomics for the great partnership during the writing process. I enjoyed the collab a lot <3

Chapter 8: Giving Up

\- written by Devi-San, illustrated by [novicecomics ](https://official-novicecomics.tumblr.com/post/182918916906/created-this-as-a-companion-piece-to-devisans)\- for the [LawLu BigBang 2018/19](https://lawlu-events.tumblr.com/)

* * *

 

_There was it again. The big, knowing grin. It made Laws toes curl in, and his breath accelerate. Big, knowing grin. Threatening. Dangerous. No. The last two things were not fitting. There was no sheer endless row of teeth, no gum revealed. Eyes hidden. Instead, there were warmth and joy. Law sighed. It felt like he was talking to a wall._

_“Awesome.” It did not sound honest, but Luffy did not seem to care._

* * *

 

 

 

This was Luffy’s favorite place? Law took a look around, sighing softly. They were standing at the very front of the ship. He could feel the brisk breeze caused by the wind hitting the water surface. Sunset was painting the sea in vibrant hues. A mixture of purple, scarlet, orange, pink and bright blue. The last time Law saw a sunset was from Kid’s balcony. Two bodies moving as one. Law pushed those thoughts aside. Their personalities had not been fitting enough. 

“Stop thinking about the past Torao!” Luffy had noticed the absent staring of Law. He wrapped his arm around the other one, pulled him closer to the railing.  
“Look! The sun is going down! When it is dark, you can see the reflections of the ship’s lights on the sea, that looks cool!”

Law sighed, staring at the Strawhat in annoyance. He could feel his body warmth. By now the other one had mentioned something looking cool quite a few times. How easy it was to fascinate the boy. Law had always thought that only children were blessed with such a curiosity and that it perished as soon as people grew up and realized how bitter the world could truly be. Seeing that type of wonder in a grown man was weird and fascinating at the same time. Curiosity had died down in Law rather quick. He could not remember when something sparked interest in him last. 

“You are thinking again! Shishishi.” It took the breath out of Law’s lungs when the scrawny body of Luffy suddenly rammed against him. The boy was still grinning, looking in his usual curious manner at him. All goofy.

“If thinking makes you feel bad, stop it!” Law huffed in annoyance. Easy to be said from the perspective of a non-caring youngster. With a sigh he reached into the pocket of his jeans, pulling out a little box with a few cigarettes and a lighter. He was unsure what to do.

“Oh? You smoke? Sanji also smokes!” Luffy noticed.“- but Sanji also smells like food and smoke, mostly food, though! I did not smell cigarettes on you! You smell like antiseptic and clean linen. Why you smoke now then?”  
Law looked dumbfounded. Okay, Luffy was definitely too close if he could …. s _cent_ him.

“No, I do not usually smoke. Only under certain circumstances, like now.” Law did not care to explain further. He put the smoke stick into his mouth, lightening it. Luffy merely observed him before nodding.  
“Alright!” 

For a few minutes it was silent between them. Law inhaled the smoke, experiencing the burning sensation in the back of his throat, closing his eyes slowly. It was nearly painful, his lungs not used to the sensation. Could one ever get used to this? Law wonders how Cora-san had managed to smoke one or two cigarette boxes a day. A little but bitter smile appeared on his face. He had started to smoke right after Cora-sans death. Only a few cigarettes when he felt incredible lonely and helpless. When he lacked the feeling of reassurance that Cora-san had brought upon him. Smoking had brought him closer to Cora-san. Funny how he took after him, starting to smoke right after his death, while he had fought Cora-san’s smoking habit as long as the other one was living.   
Luffy examined Law. It seemed like the other one was staring into a void, again.This time a bit happier, though. The sour looks on his face had softened down a little bit and there was a soft smile on his face now, barely noticeable. Whatever Law was thinking about, it was better than the thoughts from before.  
  
“I wonder what he would think of me, if he could see me today.” Law broke the silence. It suddenly felt too heavy to bear. What would Cora-san think if he could see, what he had turned into. A man in solitude, working as a doctor while trying to stay as far away from Doflamingo’s business as he could. A man failing at completely pulling away from the man harming him, taunting him. What would he think about Law isolating himself further and further. Losing all his friends, because indulging work was so much easier than human companionship. Easy way out.

“You mean your father?” Luffy frowned, remembering the picture frame and the way Law had looked at it.  
“Yes. Cora-san”

For a moment Luffy followed the others gaze into the sea, humming while thinking. Cora-san? That sounded like a nice name. 

“Who cares!” He suddenly exclaimed. “Who cares what he or others think of you! Hn, what do you think of you?” Wasn’t that far more important?

Law twitched. The intensity behind these words, the conviction. He felt goosebumps on his arms. 

“Who cares, huh?” But Cora-san had been there for him. Cora-san had helped him to get over his hatred. Why was he then again thinking of the world as a dark and bitter place again? Wasn't he saved already?

“You know Torao. Thinking too much won’t help you, won’t help him. It will not help a single person!” There was a more of a serious look on the boy’s face now. Law did not like it. Goofy looked better on him. It twisted something in Law's guts. ~~Fragments of memories of the Donquixotes brothers fighting. Goofy Cora-san spitting venom from his lips, calling out his brothers cruelties.~~

“Worrying won’t help too! You wanna do stuff, do it. If you do not wanna do stuff, don’t do it then! And if you like something, you do it, and then realize that you do not like it anymore, well- then you can think of alternatives! But not beforehand! Won’t help! Easy as that!” The smile on Luffy’s face reappeared. Stretching over the slightly sunburned face, reaching his dark eyes, making him appear all warm and friendly and reassuring and … trustworthy? 

Law was still in thought, when he felt the other's warm hand on his. Luffy had grabbed his hand, interlacing their fingers and tilting his head to the side.

“So Torao. Do you wanna stay with us, with me? I can show you how to not overthink stuff! Or do you wanna be alone?” 

Law stared at their hands then at his face. His mouth suddenly felt very dry. He hesitated, unsure of what to do, what to say. What could happen, what would be, when the trip ended? His thoughts began to trail of, while he looked at Luffy. The grin, the resemblance, same warmth. 

At first, he had disliked Cora-san too, being annoyed by his warmth. He had stood out compared to the other Donquixote members. Being all dorky and welcoming in a non-threatening way. No expectations, no over-analyzing. With time and non-stop trying Cora-san had managed to worm his way into Law’s heart, breaking through his protective wall of isolation. Maybe that was the reason the Strawhat felt so familiar? Persistent and welcoming. 

Slowly Law took a step into the direction of Luffy. He nodded. Maybe he needed someone to teach him how to be warm again. 

“Yes.” ~~I do not want to be alone.~~

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments appreciated.
> 
> __
> 
> Wow.  
> I am totally not used to writing happy and cheerful ends.  
> Hmpf!
> 
> As mentioned before the fanart was drawn by the amazing novicecomics  
> -> https://official-novicecomics.tumblr.com/post/182926660586/his-smile-was-like-corazons-warm-and-inviting

**Author's Note:**

> I appreciate comments and Kudos! You can always prompt me on tumblr (generaldevi) oder twitter (BadassDevi)!


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